The human world is much like the wild animal kingdom. It’s unpredictable and full of varying species. We navigate the wild carefully and cautiously so as to not fall victim to the predators, or find ourselves in a hopeless predicament. Fortunately, our concerns don’t involve being eaten by a predator so...we have that going for us… Though, many threats persist like job-loss, illness, homelessness, fears of isolation, etc. If we’re not careful, these lurking threats take hold of our minds and subject ourselves to nothing else but the daily grind because it’s ‘safe’. Now don’t get me wrong, routine is good, but it shouldn’t prevent us from doing what we want. For someone like me and many others, I avoided stepping out of routine. So how did I control my life? I chose predictability and the safety of routine, but the funny thing is...I have kids. Not much you can predict there. My girls get sick, have tantrums, but also surprise me in wonderful ways...drawing me pictures, giving me kisses and hugs to brighten my day. Life is good when I ‘remembered to place the folder inside my daughters backpack’ or when I remembered to press start on the dryer for my wet towels. This is the “All American dream” I thought...having a family, dry towels, an orderly backpack, a good job, and a decent house to live in. Everything was calm and good...or so I thought. Now, I have been blessed in many ways, but we know life’s wildness is more than household responsibilities. Funny how we work so hard to make life simple and when it’s too simple, we’re bored. As I hunkered down, safe from all predators, life seemed quite dull some days, and I found myself cranky often when things didn’t go exactly as planned. What happened was I devoted myself to being a wife, mother, full-time trainer/manager/coach and everything else fell by the way-side. But, swallowed by the predator labeled ‘pride’, I reassured myself that I was focused on the right things. I saw ‘self-care’ and ‘mom-time’ and rolled my eyes out of frustration. My stubborn streak rebelled against worldly marketing schemes and I wouldn’t spend money on silly things, I thought. In fact, it made me angry. Most days, I suppressed my adventurous spirit in order to survive. Not everyone could see it, but it became evident to my family and myself that I was turning into a cranky old lady at 27 years old. I became restless and irritated with my pride’s restraints. So I mustered up the courage to admit that I had gone about this whole ‘self-care’ thing wrong, peeked out of my shelter, and let life's scariest plot twists take hold: Change. I prayed and went to confession during the season of Lent. It is a time for Christians/Catholics to sacrifice and self-reflect as Jesus did for 40 days and 40 nights. I devoted more time to change and opened the door to the wildness of the world. What I discovered was that it wasn’t about me...it was about how I could be at my best more often to serve others, hopefully impacting many lives. Thoughts like starting my own health coaching business had returned, along with childlike dreams of galloping across the field on a horse. Returning with urgency, I couldn’t get them out of my head (probably a repercussion of suppressing them for so long.) Though I knew this could potentially be something wonderful, I continued to ignore the dreams. Besides, Tyler and I were trying for our second child and work was going well, so why change? There was no need to explore the unknown or to dream about the wild...I had other plans...right? Compromising, I took an initial step and ordered a book on horse care and breeds. The pandemic had pretty much shut down any place giving lessons. When things had begun to open back up, I was excited about the opportunity. However, I began to feel ill off and on. And wouldn’t you know it...I took a pregnancy test - boom! pregnant! I should be happy, right? Tyler and I had been trying for months with no luck. I was excited but also confused as I had finally set my sights on being around horses again, but horses will always be there I thought. Maternity leave was a blessing in many ways. It gave me time to think as I held this new life in my hands. I spent time in awe of her, and often wondered what dreams and aspirations would come to this beautiful baby girl. You mothers know - you spend many late nights snuggling and staring at the gift God has given you. However, as maternity leave concluded, I thought about who I wanted to be for both my girls, and it was decided: I was going to devote myself to being who I was truly set out to be by expressing what made me unique, just like I wished for my girls. In other words, it was time to step into the wild and become the fierce woman I was meant to be, take chances, and begin changing my life for myself, my family, and others. As soon as I was cleared for physical activity, I set out to take hold of this new adventure. I began taking lessons at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch once a week. It was wonderful - I was floating on cloud nine when I left for lessons and when I was finished. I began to make friends with the staff and fellow students there. I became a better wife, mother, and person in general. While I began to flourish in my new lifestyle, after a few months, the thought of returning to work in-person made me feel discouraged. I had been working from home over a year and had grown to like the flexibility it provided for my family and myself. The dream of owning my own business returned and it was too strong to deny, I could no longer submerge the thought. It just felt right. I took the idea of stepping into the wild and went with it: Taking care of your health meant that you could go out and be your best for the world. I’ve spent almost 10 years now in the field of health and wellness and have observed what really lights a fire in people: Giving and working towards something bigger than themselves. Everything was coming full circle. This is where the donation aspect of the business came into play. The more a client invested in the subscription and paid for coaching sessions to improve their health, the more money that went to a non-profit ..* So I talked about it a lot with my husband and had every intention of starting this as a side gig, but slowly began to realize how much attention it needed for this dream to truly come alive. Even though we would be fine financially, I hesitated and peeked back at the safe shelter I used to make so cozy and warm. The wildness of the world was looking awfully scary, but thought of a particular horse lesson that helped me figure things out: Horses are extremely intelligent animals and lesson horses are typically very-well behaved in the arena. One horse in particular, is always what we call a ‘trusty steed’ and does most of what he’s asked. The only thing he is ever guilty of is being a little lazy. One day we took him outside to a fenced in pasture, which is closer to his natural habitat. This so-called slow horse became upright, energized, and when I asked him politely to ‘canter’ he took off into a gallop across the field towards my fellow student’s horse who sat waiting at the other end. I had a flashback to when I was younger because I fell off before, but the fear had turned into thrill when I witnessed how much fun he was having...the perky ears, little whinny, and the burst of energy. Twenty seconds of this glorious state where he unleashed the animal within. The green field and cool evening air awakened his wild side. He followed his instincts, and stepped into a new world of excitement and thrill. He was being himself and expressing it (within parameters that were safe and reasonable for the both of us) but it was an experience I’ll never forget. So I broke away from the shelter, took off into the wild, and am not looking back. I set out on a mission to help others do the same, serving as a launch pad and facilitator for the thrill and excitement that life has to offer. I coach clients through their health journey, but I also have the honor of facilitating life change and believe me, it all begins with health. Maybe you’re not as scared as I was to step into a new experience or into the unknown, but many fail to realize the potential impact a healthy lifestyle provides for your individual health and the health of society. So come with me - take a step into the wildness of this world - and start living. Let’s get you started today!